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These records include Ordinances 1 through 97, adopted by the Fairhaven City Council during meetings from 1890 through 1903; Ordinances 1 through 496, adopted by the New Whatcom City Council during meetings from 1891 through 1903; Ordinances 1 through 199, adopted by the Whatcom City Council during meetings from 1901 through 1903; and Ordinances 2008-08-081 through 2012-12-065 adopted by the Bellingham City Council during meetings from 2008 through 2012.

Ordinances passed by the city council are the laws that govern the city and are normally codified into a Municipal Code. Records include ordinance number, type or legal details, and date. The ordinances in this collection are indexed by date and by ordinance number.

The City of Bellingham is located in Whatcom County. Incorporated in 1903, Bellingham was originally four separate towns located near Bellingham Bay: Watcom, Sehome, Bellingham, and Fairhaven. In 1890, a developer from Fairhaven bought Bellingham and incorporated the two. A year later, Whatcom and Sehome merged to become New Whatcom (which changed its name back to Whatcom in 1901). From 1891-1903, the Fairhaven and Whatcom remained separate towns with distinct governing bodies.

The records reflect these changes and include ordinances from Fairhaven after it was incorporated with Bellingham, those passed when Whatcom was “New Whatcom,” and those passed after it became “Whatcom” again in 1901. Bound volumes of 1890-1976 ordinances are located at the Northwest Branch Archives. Ordinances between 1979-2013 are available at the Bellingham County website.

Related Records:

For more information or to learn about related records, contact the Washington State Archives, Northwest Regional Branch at (360) 650-3125 or email nwbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov.

Historical ordinances contained in this collection may have been repealed, superseded, amended, or otherwise had their legal effect altered by subsequent actions of the creating body. Those seeking the current municipal or county laws should refer directly to the appropriate city, town, or county.

Agency History:

The city of Bellingham is located in western Washington on the north Puget Sound, approximately 21 miles south of the Canadian Border. The city was incorporated in 1904 with the consolidation of the four adjacent towns of Bellingham, Sehome, Whatcom, and Fairhaven. The city adheres to a Council-Mayor form of government and is the largest city in Whatcom County. Bellingham is home to Western Washington University and serves as the Whatcom County seat.